


Going Home

by PrintDust



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 07:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2059290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrintDust/pseuds/PrintDust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There we are," Lori cooed softly, smoothing her hand over the brown wisps of her son's hair before easing a knitted blue hat over his head. She picked up the matching booties and scratch-mittens next, and then pulled them over tiny feet and hands respectively, frowning when he arched his back in protest, scrunching up his face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Home

"There we are," Lori cooed softly, smoothing her hand over the brown wisps of her son's hair before easing a knitted blue hat over his head. She picked up the matching booties and scratch-mittens next, and then pulled them over tiny feet and hands respectively, frowning when he arched his back in protest, scrunching up his face. "I'm sorry, love," she apologized, cringing at his wail, her heart seizing; she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the sound.

The door behind her opened and she looked over her shoulder, expecting to find her husband coming in to collect the rest of her things. Instead she found their long-time friend and his colleague, Shane.

"Hey, Lor," he greeted when he was at her side. His hand moved to rest on her lower back and he pulled her in for a light hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You're lookin' better," he complimented, releasing her as he turned his attention to the baby on the bed. "How'r you feeling?"

She winced, her hand falling to her lower abdomen. "Like I was sawed in half," she admitted before offering him a small smile and retuning her attention to Carl.

"Look at this little dude," Shane grinned, his hand hovering over the baby's chest. He suddenly looked unsure of himself before he pulled his hand back, resting it on his belt. "You and Rick did good," he assessed.

"Speaking of my husband…" she drawled, folding the corners of the blanket around her son. He whimpered again, his tiny fingers curling into his palms, creating fists the size of walnuts. Sliding her hands underneath him she eased him onto her shoulder, rubbing his back.

Shane chuckled, "Had to get the fire department to come in and show him how to unclip that car seat of yours."

Lori eyed him skeptically. "You're kidding…" she said hesitantly, not sure how to read the mischievous expression on his face. He was either pulling her leg or highly amused at her husband's expense.

"What's so funny?" Rick's voice interrupted from the doorway as he stepped into the room, the baby's seat in his arms.

Lori shook her head, hitting Shane square in the middle of his chest as she passed him to join Rick at the table where he'd set the seat down. His arm wound around her waist as he watched her buckle in the baby. She frowned at the sight of Carl's head resting to the side, one chubby cheek smooshed against his shoulder and the strap that held him in place. "Should it be like that?" she asked nervously, half turning to her husband.

"I- uh," he gave her a puzzled look that mirrored her own. "I guess if that's what it's doin' then it's gotta be alright… right?"

Nodding reluctantly, she checked the buckles again.

"Ya'll could just call in the Army to double check it…" Shane was gathering her bags from beside the bed. "Or maybe NASA," he joked, ducking the deputy hat that Rick sent soaring towards his head.

Lori chuckled softly, turning to meet her husband's eyes. He cleared his throat, resting his hands on his belt as he shifted on his feet. "You didn't," she gasped, her eyes widening.

When his eyes lifted to meet hers she saw uncertainty mixed with embarrassment and doubt masked by indignation. "I want to keep him safe," he defended weakly, running his hand through his short curls.

She felt her heart melt like it was an ice-cream cone on a summer day and she slid her arms around his back, leaning into him. "Come here," she soothed, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "You're a good man," she assured him, then paused, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. "And a good father."

Rick swallowed, nodding his head once before he pressed a kiss to her mouth, once chastely, then again more deeply. She could tell he was thinking about the delivery again: the placental abruption, the emergency c-section. Lori didn't remember much of it at all, she'd been unconscious by the time he'd found her on the kitchen floor after his shift, but her mother had told her that it had been had scary.

"Hey," she whispered, lifting her hand to smooth it over his bristly cheek. "I'm right here."

"I know that," he declared, kissing her once more before he stepped back. "Let's get him home."

She nodded and watching him pick up the seat by the handle, then turned to find that Shane had already collected her bags under both his arms. With nothing left to carry she followed Rick out, holding her incision tightly. It tugged each time she took a step, and she was ready for a nap, but she smiled anyway.

Her smile faded when she realized that the reason Shane had come to the hospital was so that he could act as a police escort as they drove home. He kept his flashers on the entire way, and Lori buried her burning face in her hands, embarrassed by the attention it was drawing.

Shane left them at the end of their block and carried back on towards town - Lori was grateful that he didn't feel the need to humiliate her in front of their neighbours too. She shot another indignant look at her sheepish husband who was white knuckling the steering wheel, his eyes scanning the road as though he was waiting for some stray car to come out of nowhere.

"Baby, it's noon on a Tuesday… no one is on the road," she assured him, reaching over to pat his thigh.

He muttered about not talking while he is driving and she rolled her eyes, turning back to look out her window, hiding her grin.

The living room coffee table and sofa were both buried under packages wrapped in an eclectic assortment of wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. She looked to her husband in surprise – they'd already received gifts from all their friends and family at the shower.

He shrugged, heading toward the nursery. "You should see the freezer. We're gonna be eating casseroles for a year."

She took the short-cut through the kitchen, pausing to inspect the tiled floor where she'd apparently collapsed. She wasn't sure how long she'd been staring at the spot, but she must have been doing so intently because she wasn't aware of Rick coming up behind her until his hands slipped around her middle, closing her into a hug.

"Shane cleaned it up," he informed her, pressing a kiss to her ear. "Changed the porch light too, and got that guy in to fix the furnace… said he wouldn't have his nephew sleepin' in a house with a busted furnace."

She nodded, tilting her head to rest her temple against his.

"You alright?" he asked, slowly turning her around to face him.

Lori nodded again, pressing a kiss to his mouth before stepping around him to go to the nursery. "I'm fine," she promised over her shoulder. She spotted her son still in his seat that Rick had placed on the floor in the middle of the room. The baby was still sleeping peacefully, his tiny chest rising and falling with even breaths.

She let Rick lift the carrier onto the dresser before lifting Carl out. He fussed a little at her when she –with Rick's help – took a seat in the rocking chair that had belonged to her grandmother. He accepted her breast easily, even though she still wasn't confident about nursing him.

Rick announced that he would make them some lunch, leaving her alone with their son. She watched him eating hungrily, his blue eyes looking at her chest with a gaze that seemed fuzzy to her. The nurse had assured her that newborns were all nearsighted when she'd voiced her concern, patting Lori kindly on the shoulder with a smile that had been dealing with nervous new mothers for years.

When Carl finally finished eating, Lori burped him before putting him down for a nap. He looked tiny in the crib and she found herself cemented to the floor beside him, unable to walk away. Raking her teeth over her lower lip she shook her head, making up her mind as she lifted the baby and took him with her to hers and Rick's bedroom where they'd set up a white, wicker bassinet.

Moments later, Rick came in to find her changing into her pyjamas, one hand still touching the side of the cradle. He gave her a look that was a mixture of approval and amusement as he began unbuttoning his deputy shirt. "Your mom said we should try and get him to sleep in his own room first, so he gets used to it."

Lori shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. "Well, then she can say I told you so later. Either way he's sleeping in here with us or I'm sleeping in there with him."

Rick grunted, lying down on his side of the bed, his hand reaching out to grasp her wrist. He pulled her towards him slowly, allowing her to take her time to accommodate her still healing abdomen. She settled on her side with her back to him, a habit they'd developed while she'd been the size of a whale and unable to sleep with her head on his chest.

He curled into her back, crossing his arms over her chest as they shared her pillow, his knee sliding between her thighs. "Mmm," he hummed in her ear. "Lunch can wait," he decided, letting out a long breath.

Lori nodded, pulling her hair over her shoulder and out of his face. Reaching out, she pulled the basinet closer, keeping one hand locked around her husband's while the other lightly grasped her newborn's foot.

"Goodnight, Lori," Rick muttered, already half-asleep.

"Goodnight, baby," she squeezed Carl's foot, closing her eyes. She buried her nose into her husband's arm, snuggling further into his chest. "Goodnight, love."


End file.
